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If you want to build a career in music today, talent is only one part of the picture. To successfully navigate the modern music industry, you’ll need skills in collaboration, adaptability, relationships and the ability to turn creative ideas into real-world opportunities.
That’s the thinking behind LCCM’s new Industry Department, led by Director of Industry Engagement, Employability & Alumni Relations Harry Leckstein, whose career spans both the music and higher education sectors.
Focused on everything from employer partnerships and professional practice to alumni engagement and international collaboration, the new department has been created to strengthen connections between students, graduates and the wider creative industries.
We caught up with Harry to talk about why industry connection matters so much for music students and what it really means to prepare students for long-term creative careers.
Why are industry partnerships so important for music students while they’re still studying?
Music is, by its very nature, collaborative. Whether you’re co-writing, producing, performing in a band or building a team around an artist and release campaign, you’re constantly working with people across different creative disciplines.
That means building relationships, learning how to work in teams and connecting with people across music, visual arts, staging, events, marketing and media is a huge part of developing a sustainable music career.
Students who start building their networks early often transition much more naturally into the professional world because they already understand how creative collaboration works in practice.
At LCCM, we’re expanding our music and creative industry partnerships to create a year-round stream of opportunities across live gigs, festivals, theatre, TV, film, games and advert scoring, event management, digital marketing, record labels and music brands. We’re also continuing to work closely with students and alumni to better understand how they view careers, opportunities and the realities of the modern music industry.
How important is real industry experience as part of the curriculum?
It’s everything really because good theory and the latest working knowledge of technology, whether that’s DAW skills or video editing for TikTok, needs to come as standard.
One of our biggest priorities at LCCM is embedding industry-informed input across all programmes. We work closely with programme leaders and academic teams to support modules with guest speakers, case studies, industry stats, live briefs and placement opportunities.
We’re also launching LCCM’s first Industry Advisory Board, which will bring industry professionals directly into conversation with our academic teams, students and alumni to help strengthen professional practice and industry opportunities across the college.
What skills do students need to succeed in today’s music industry beyond creative talent?
A non-stop passion for music. The hunger to book studio space and practice rooms on days you’re not even scheduled to be in class so you can make more music. An insatiable desire to absorb music from all cultures, genres and eras. To love collaborating with an open heart and an ear for all opinions. To give it 1000% on stage even for an audience of one.
The industry is built around people, collaboration, professionalism and consistency. Technical skills matter of course, but attitude, energy and the willingness to keep learning are what help people build sustainable careers.
Why is alumni engagement so important in the creative industries?
We want our alumni to know they can come back any time for advice, connect with opportunities and jobs, showcase new work, socialise and help support the generations coming up behind them by giving that little spark of advice or encouragement that can last a lifetime.
This is why we’re building the infrastructure, platform, networks, opportunities and events calendar for LCCM’s first major Alumni department and I’m incredibly excited about it. I still connect with my own alumni network decades later, so I know first-hand how it feels to know you are still a valued part of your Higher Education family wherever you go in life.
We’re kicking this off with alumni socials and showcases and I’d love to see our Alumni and Student Buddy programme up and running soon as well.
What opportunities could international partnerships create for students in the future?
The music industry is increasingly global and interconnected, so giving students exposure to different creative scenes, cultures and industry perspectives is incredibly valuable.
That could include things like international collaborations, guest speakers, showcases, live events and stronger connections with global music and entertainment networks.
The more students are exposed to different ways of creating, collaborating and working across the industry, the more confident and adaptable they become as creative professionals. Watch this space!
As the music industry continues to evolve, LCCM’s new Industry Department reflects the college’s commitment to helping students develop not just creatively, but also professionally – building the confidence, experience and connections needed to navigate long-term careers in the creative industries.
